A Thousand Words of Love

 

My Love, you know that I am not always clever with words. I have always relied on your easy, warm and understanding smile. But just this once I want to tell you that I love you like no one has ever told you before. There is a much greater motivation than simply my spoken words. For me, to love is to commit myself freely and without reservation. I am sincerely interested in your happiness and well-being. Whatever your needs are, I will try to fulfill them and will bend in my values depending upon the importance of your need. If you are lonely and need me, I will be there. If in that loneliness you need to talk, I will listen. If you need to listen, I will talk to you. If you need the strength of touch, I will touch you. If you need to be held, I will hold you. I will lie next to you if that is your need. If you need fulfillment of the flesh, I will give you that also. I will try to be constant with you so that you will understand the core of my personality and from that understanding gain the strength of security that I am acting as me. I, on occasion, may falter in my moods. I may project, at times, a strangeness that is alien to you, which may bewilder or even frighten you. There will be times when you may question my motives. But because people are never constant and are as changeable as the seasons, I will try to build up within you a faith in my fundamental attitude and show you that my inconsistency is only for a moment and is not a lasting part of me. I will show you love now. Each and every day, for every day is a lifetime. Every day that we live, we learn more how to love. I will not defer in my love, nor neglect it, for if I wait until tomorrow, tomorrow never comes. It is like a cloud in the sky, passing quickly by. If I give you kindness and understanding, then I receive your faith. If I give you hate and dishonesty, I will receive your distrust. If I give you fear and am afraid, you will become afraid and fear me. I will give you what you need to receive. To what degree I give my love is determined by my past and by my understanding of truth and love. My understanding is determined by my parents, friends, and places I have been. All experiences that have been fed into my mind from living. I will give you as much love as I can. If you show me how to give more, then I will give you more. I can only give as much love as you need to receive or allow me to give. If you receive all that I can give, then my love is endless and fulfilled. I must give all that I am capable of giving. Love is universal. Love is the movement of life. All things in life I find beautiful. No human being or society has the right to condemn any kind of love I feel or my way of expressing it. If I am sincere, sincerity being the honest realization of myself and there is no hurt or pain intentionally involved in my life or any life mine touches. I want to become a truly loving spirit. Let my words, when I speak, become a restoration of your soul. And when speech is silent, let my passion project a depth of sensitivity. When I touch you, when I kiss you, when I hold you, or when I love you, I am saying a thousand words.

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Leap Day

Hollywood has given up many classic movies - Gone with the Wind, Titanic, and The Godfather to name a few. It isn't hard to convince my husband to take me to the movies for blockbusters such as these. It is quite another matter when the movie is a chick flick filled with sappy romance. Which is why I found it so surprising that he suggested we see the film Leap Year when it came out in 2010.
An Ireland-born Irishman, my darling husband found the movie hilarious. It seems this was not just a piece of Hollywood magic but based on an actual Irish tradition which allows women to propose marriage to their boyfriends on February 29. Who knew!

So sit back, enjoy the trailer, and then polish up your proposal speech, girls.

Happy Leap Day!

Valentine's Day Creed

Comfort each other. Provide a refuge and sanctuary for each other from the chill winds of the world. Your marriage is a hearth, from whence comes the peace, harmony, and warmth of soul and spirit.

Caress as you would be caressed. Warm your loved one's body with your healing touch. Remember that as babies can die with lack of touching, so can marriages wither from lack of closeness.

Be a friend and partner. Friendship can be a peaceful island, separate and apart, in a world of turmoil and strife. Reflect upon the tranquility of the many future years you can share with a true friend, and beware of becoming battling enemies under the same roof.

Be open with each other. Bind not yourselves in the secretness that causes suspicion and doubt. Trust and reveal yourselves to each other, even as the budding rose opens to reveal its fragrance and beauty.

Listen to each other. Hear not only words, but also the non-language of tone, mood, and expression. Learn to listen to understand rather than listening to argue.

Respect each other's rights. Remember that each is a person of flesh and blood, entitled to his or her own choices and mistakes. Each owns himself, and has the right to equality.

Allow the other to be an individual Seek not to create for each other a new mold that can only fit with much discomfort and pain. Accept the other as they are, as you would have yourself accepted.

Give each other approval. Remember criticism divides, while compliments encourage confidence in the other. Hasten not to point out the other's mistakes, for each will soon discover his own.

Cherish your union. Let no one come between your togetherness, not child, not friend, nor possessions. Yet maintain enough separateness to allow each other his or her own uniqueness.

Love one another. Love is your river of life, your eternal source of recreating yourselves. Above all else, love one another.

Happy New Year 2012

As the holiday bells ring out the old year, and sweethearts kiss, and cold hands touch and warm each other against the year ahead, may I wish you not the biggest and best of life but the small pleasures that make living worthwhile.

Sometime during the New Year, to keep your heart in practice, may you do someone a secret good deed and not get caught at it. May you find a little island of time to read that book and write that letter, and to visit that friend.

May your next do-it-yourself project not look like you did it yourself. May the poor relatives you helped support remember you when they win the lottery. May your best card tricks win admiring gasps and your worst puns win admiring groans. May all those who told you so, refrain from saying “I told you so.”

May all the predictions you’ve made for your future come true. May just half of those optimistic predictions that your high school yearbook made for you come true. In a time of sink or swim, may you find you can walk to shore before you call the lifeguard. May you keep at least one ideal that you can pass along to your kids.

For a change, some rainy day when you’re late, may the train be waiting for you. May you accidentally overhear someone saying something nice about you. If you run into an old school friend, may you both remember each other’s names. If you are on a diet, may someone say “You’ve lost some weight” without knowing you’re on a diet.

May that long and lonely night be brightened by a telephone call. When you trip and fall, may there be no one watching to laugh at you or feel sorry for you. Sometime soon may you be waved at by a friend, smiled at by a stranger, wagged at by a puppy, run to by a child, and counted on by someone you love.

More than this, no one can wish you.

Happy New Year!

Star Light, Star Bright

Now that the days are growing shorter, I find myself leaving for work in the dark and returning home in the dark. There is a bright side (excuse the pun) to the shorter days, however. It gives me a chance to cast my eyes upward and gaze at the stars.

I am lucky enough to be far enough in the suburbs that I can actually see the stars from my garden without the interference of streetlights. Not an astronomer in any sense of the word, I am still able to pick out a few of the major constellations - enough of the to make my junior high school science teachers proud.

Seeing the multitude of twinkling lights overhead never fails to fill me with awe. How beautiful they are! I look at them and wonder how many more worlds like our own or out there. Will we ever get to see those worlds? Are beings on those worlds looking up at the sky right now and thinking the exact same thing?

And what better place to sit and hold hands with the one you love than under a brilliant canopy of stars! It is the perfect time to reminisce and to dream.

Fellow stargazers and dreamers, share your favorite place to look at the stars with us.

Taps - A Love Story

PART ONE

Ahh, Paris. The City of Lights. The City of Love. Who would not love to be in Paris in the spring?

Me, that's who.

Not a person for sightseeing, Brooke dragged herself out of bed. She hated being stuck somewhere over a weekend. She preferred to fly in, get her work done, and then fly home again, all within one week. Her time was too valuable to spend it doing nothing.

After lingering as long as she could over breakfast in the hotel dining room, she returned to her room to check her emails. Nothing was pressing. Shutting down the computer, she stood in front of the window and tried to decide what she would do for the rest of the day. Whatever it was, it had to be away from the hotel. It was awkward to be around when housekeeping came to clean the room so she wanted to be out before they came.

The lobby seemed a good place to read the newspaper. That would kill at least an hour. Brooke had just settled herself into the deep, plush chair when a crowd of people suddenly descended upon her quiet corner. They had come to see the paintings hanging in the lobby as part of an exhibit. The crowd moved from canvas to canvas while the artist described each work in detail.

Annoyed by the intrusion, she picked herself up and walked outside. Even though it was still rather early, the sidewalks were already crowded with tourists heading off to see the sights. She sighed. There had to be somewhere she could go to have some time alone to read her newspaper and contemplate what to do for the rest of the day.

With no destination in mind, Brooke began walking. She paused now and again at a shop window, but nothing held her interest for long enough to go inside. Before long, she found herself in one of the many parks in the city. Although it was crowded, this seemed a perfect place to spend some quiet time.

Walking along the manicured path, she saw families and couples on the benches and the expanse of fresh-mowed grass. Everyone was laughing and enjoying each other's company. No one was paying attention to her. Why should they? She was just a lone woman in a foreign country.

Sighing, she plopped herself down on the ground and hugged her knees to her chest. Paris was a city filled with so many things to do and to see, none of which appealed to her. Why did this business trip have to be so long? How was she ever going to get through the next two days?

"Pardon, mademoiselle," a deep voice interrupted her thoughts a moment later.

Using her hand to shade her eyes from the sun, Brooke looked up and saw the man belonging to the voice. He was tall, with the trim but muscular body of someone who worked out regularly. What impressed her most, though, was his incredibly perfect posture. She had never seen anyone stand so straight and tall.

"Yes?" she asked. "Can I help you?"

A smile softened his square jaw. "You're an American. From the Midwest, if I had to guess."

Brooke arched a brow. Although she was originally from Kansas, she had lived in the D.C. area for the last fifteen years. Hardly anyone made mention of her accent anymore. This man was either a master of linguistics or he was from the same part of the country where she was born.

As if reading her mind, he went on, "I'm from Oklahoma myself, and I can always tell a neighbor when I hear one."

He then gestured to the ground next to her and asked if he could join her. It was hard not to like his manners and easy charm so Brooke gave a noncommittal shrug. She welcomed the company but did not want to give the wrong impression by appearing overly eager.

"I'm Christian Anders," he said as he sat down a respectable distance from her. "But everyone just calls me Chris."

Without the sun glaring in her eyes, she could now see his face better. He had very angular features, as if chiseled from stone, and a nose that had seen several breaks over the years. His light brown hair was short, almost a crewcut, and was touched with grey at the temples. In sharp contrast to all that cragginess, he had warm hazel eyes that twinkled with mirth, as if he had a great joke he could not wait to share, and a ready smile.

"Brooke Stewart," she replied.

He took her hand and shook it warmly. As he did, he let his eyes flicked over her and Chris very much liked what he saw. It was clear that Brooke had a brain behind her intense green eyes. As for the rest of her, well, she was softly rounded in all the right places. It was those lush curves that caught his attention the moment she came into the park.

By the time they talked about Paris and the unseasonably warm weather for so early in the year, they began to feel more at ease with each other. The conversation quickly moved on to topics that were more personal. Brooke told him about her job at a major international bank, about the work that had brought her here, and how she would be in Paris for another week.

His eyes lit up. "It's a stroke of fate that we ran into each other today. I'm on leave until Friday and I was wondering what I was going to do in Paris all by myself."

She arched an eyebrow. "On leave? You're in the military?"

"Yes ma'am. I'm in the Marine Corps," he replied proudly. Chris saw the look of doubt as her eyes moved over his civilian attire and added, "There are times and places when the military does not want not advertise the presence of servicemen on leave."

Her mind flashed to the recent news report about five sailors viciously attacked in a South American bar. She never would have guessed Paris to be a problem city for Americans, but she guessed that the military knew how best to guard its servicemen.

Brooke's look of doubt softened into a smile. So he was a Marine. Well that certainly explained his posture and self-confidence, not to mention his well-toned physique. She was surprised that she had not guessed it right away.

As he continued to speak, she learned that Chris was a Captain and currently stationed in Baghdad. This was his first leave in fourteen months, having just completed his second tour of duty in Iraq. It was amazing to hear him speak so matter-of-factly about these places. Dangerous places that figured so prominently in the nightly news.

They continued to talk and to laugh about all the things they had in common. Before either of them noticed, the afternoon sunlight started to fade with the approaching sunset and lights began to wink on around the city. When the Eiffel Tower lit up, Brooke sighed dreamily. She had seen it many times before but the sight of the twinkling lights soaring to meet the stars never failed to send shivers up her spine.

Watching her face in the last rays of sunlight, Chris felt a stirring in his chest. It took him a moment to realize it was the sound of his heart beating. Beating as it had not beat for a very long time. Yearning for a companionship he had not shared in a very long time. It took all of his self-control not to sweep her into his arms and to kiss her until they were both drunk with passion.

He would kiss her, though, that was sure. But not now. Not until he was certain she would welcome it. No matter how much he wanted her, he would not force himself on her the way he would have done in his youth. He had learned the hard way of the price there was to pay for such impulses.

Pushing thoughts of his past aside, he concentrated on the present and the woman next to him. He wanted to spend more time with her, as much time as he thought necessary while waiting for the right time to steal that kiss. Clearing his throat, he asked if she would like to join him for dinner.

It did not take but an instant for her to consider the invitation. Having dinner with this charming man was far preferable to her original plan for room service in front of the television. Smiling her best smile, she nodded and said, "I'd like that a lot."

Pleased with the response, even though he already knew she would say yes, he got to his feet and held out his hand to help her rise. Brooke felt her face pink. She was hard pressed to recall such gentlemanly manners from anyone she had dated. Ever. Fighting the urge to giggle, she slipped her hand into his.

The maneuver of standing up brought their bodies close, almost touching. For a split second, she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. Looking up, she saw the look behind his level gaze. It was a look that said he hoped they could be more than just friends. She tensed.

Vacation romances were never meant to last and only ended in hurt, and becoming romantically involved with someone while on a business trip was even worse. At times like this, when she felt the situation heading in a direction she did not want it to go, she would pull away, make an excuse to break their dinner date, and push the incident and the person out of her mind.

This time was different. This time, she did not pull away. She had no idea why, but she found herself eager to pursue a relationship with this man and see where it led. This time, she relaxed and savored the moment of their closeness.

His heart sank when he felt her tense. Once again he had been too forward, too eager to get to know a woman. Would he never learn his lesson? Just as an apology started to form on the tip of his tongue, he saw the change in her expression and demeanor. His heart soared. Fate brought him to this park so he could meet this woman. A woman he was looking forward to getting to know much better over the next week.

(copyright 2011 Judith McGuinness)

What's in a Sign?

What can I say? It's corny, but I thought it would be a great way to introduce myself. If you were born between June 22 and July 21, your astrological sign is Cancer Your element: Water Your ruling planets: The Moon Symbol: The Crab Your stone: Moonstone Life Pursuit: Constant reassurance and intimacy Vibration: Moody Cancer's Secret Desire: To feel safe (emotionally, spiritually, romantically and financially) Those born under the sign of Cancer, ruled by the mysterious Moon, are one of the zodiac's enigmas. It is fair to say that most Cancers are a bundle of contradictions. Compassionate and caring with friends, family and lovers, yet they can cut to the bone with their jealous remarks and ever-changing moods. Endearingly eccentric on one hand, and on the other, insecure about how others see them. Like their astrological symbol - the Crab - Cancers can appear hard and insensitive on the outside. However, for those of us who know and love a "Moon Child", we understand that deep below lies a softness and sensitivity that makes them so very special. Just as the Moon goes through many changes as it moves from its new to full phases, Cancers too go through many new and full phases of experience. Life doesn't stand still for this sign, even if they remain in one place, because they live so much in their internal oceans of emotions. Their link with the Moon often makes it impossible for them to operate on an even keel from day to day. Up and down like the proverbial yo-yo, most Cancerians feel one way one minute, then sometimes totally different the next. But this characteristic is part of their charm. Love and romance matter more than anything else to this sign (but this occasionally shares first place with having lots of money in the bank). No other sign romances better, equally though, no sign takes it so badly when romance turns sour either. But with their changeable natures Cancerians are fascinating, mysterious, stimulating and extremely alluring. This sign is one of the most magic of all and once their magic has reached you, they are the most beguiling companions. After all, isn't the Moon the most talked about and romantic galactic identity? What better sign for a romance writer to be born under!